WARRNAMBOOL'S Elizabeth O'Callaghan, as she always has, will be watching eagerly as the riders cross the line.
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But this year the long-time supporter of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic will be keeping an eye out for the first Warrnambool rider to complete the 262-kilometre course this Saturday.
The 85-year-old, with her late husband Les, have been supporters of the race for the past 20 years starting in the Melbourne to Warrnambool Society.
Now the Melbourne to Warrnambool Road Race Cycling Committee will honour the O'Callaghan family by naming the trophy for the first Warrnambool rider to cross the finish line after them.
"I'm always interested in the winner but this year I'm particularity interested in the first Warrnambool rider because that is now our shield," she said. "I don't really know enough about the competitors to know who could win it and haven't been talking about it with anyone.
"I know the winner from last year (Nathan Elliott) is riding and back in contention again but he is not from Warrnambool so I couldn't pick my favourite."
O'Callaghan, a member of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society, has always been interested in one of the town's top sporting events and wants to see the Classic continue to improve into the future.
"I believe being just over 100 years old and it being the second oldest one-day race in the world I think it should be given a higher profile and have bigger prize money," she said.
"You can get $3,000 for kicking a football into the back of a ute and yet to ride that race, which is regarded as a grueling race and to win it is worth a lot more than $2,000 prizemoney.
"In this day and age they are training very hard and most of them are quite dedicated to the sport and there should be a bigger award. But I'm not quite sure how you move it on from what it is."
Two other trophies will be awarded for the overall winner and first female rider, while O'Callaghan has also donated $1000 for the first Warrnambool rider.
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
